Drinking three to five cups of coffee a day may provide protection against age-related cognitive decline and other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, a new report claims.

The report by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC), a not-for-profit organisation devoted to the study and disclosure of science related to coffee and health, highlights the potential role of coffee consumption in reducing the risk of cognitive decline.

The report concludes that a moderate intake of coffee (three to five cups per day) may provide protection against age-related cognitive decline and other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

"Moderate coffee consumption could play a significant role in reducing cognitive decline which would impact health outcomes and health-care spending across Europe," said Rodrigo A Cunha, Professor at the University of Coimbra in Portugal.

Understanding and communicating diet and lifestyle factors that may limit age-related cognitive decline will help to improve the quality of life, the report said.

According to the report, research published this year suggests that moderate coffee consumption can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's by up to 27 per cent.

Research has suggested that it is regular, long-term coffee drinking that is key to helping to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's Disease, the report said.

The association between coffee consumption and cognitive decline is illustrated by a 'U-shaped' pattern in recent meta-analyses, with the greatest protection seen at an intake of about three to five cups of coffee per day.

Although the precise mechanisms of action behind the suggested association between coffee and age-related cognitive decline are unknown, caffeine is likely to be involved.

There are many other compounds in coffee, such as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, which may also play a role.

Caffeic acid, for example, is a polyphenol (antioxidant) found in coffee, and research suggests that these may be associated with improved cognitive function.

Taking low-dose aspirin every day may reduce the risk of a heart attack, prevent some cancers and extend lives over the course of 20 years in adults at high risk of heart disease, a new study has claimed.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women, researchers said.

Aspirin can help patients at risk of heart disease because it thins the blood and prevents clotting. "Although the health benefits of aspirin are well established, few people take it," said lead author David B Agus from University of Southern California in the US.

"Our study shows multiple health benefits and a reduction in health care spending from this simple, low-cost measure that should be considered a standard part of care for the appropriate patient," said Agus.

Researchers used representative data from several surveys. To assess the long-term benefits of aspirin, they ran two scenarios which project the health of older Americans and their trajectory in ageing.

The first scenario in study, the "Guideline Adherence", focused on determining the potential health and savings, benefits and drawbacks of following the task force's guidelines from 2009.

The second scenario, "Universal Eligibility", was not realistic and aimed to measure the full potential benefits and drawbacks if all Americans 51 and older, regardless of the guidelines, took aspirin every day.

They found that following the guidelines would prevent 11 cases of heart disease and four cases of cancer for every 1,000 Americans aged 51 to 79.

Life expectancy would improve by 0.3 years (largely disability-free), so out of 1,000 people, eight more would reach age 80 and three more would reach the age of 100.

Also, by 2036, an estimated 900,000 more Americans would be alive as a result of the aspirin regimen, researchers said.

However, the researchers found no significant reduction for stroke incidence. Also, the rate of gastrointestinal bleeding would increase 25 per cent from the current rate. This means that two out of 63 Americans could expect to suffer a bleeding incident between the ages of 51 to 79.

The optimistic "Universal Eligibility" scenario, which assumes that the clinically-proven benefits of aspirin extend to all older Americans, showed slightly larger health benefits than the "Guideline Adherence" scenario.

Although longer life spans mean an increase in lifetime medical costs, "observing the guidelines would yield positive and significant net value," researchers said. The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE.

The Budget Session of Parliament will begin with the Presidential Address on February 23. This being a leap year, the Union Budget will be presented on February 29.

The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA), which met Thursday with Home Minister Rajnath Singh in the chair, decided that the Railway Budget will be presented on February 25 and the Economic Survey will be tabled the next day. “The first part of the session will end on March 16 and the second part will be convened from April 25 to May 13,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu told reporters after the meeting. He said the Budget Session will have 31 sittings spread over 81 days.

The CCPA meeting was preceded by an “informal consultation” between the government and select leaders from opposition parties. The government wanted to gauge their mood with regard to the schedule in the context of upcoming assembly polls in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.

Courtesy - Indian Express

]]>rahmani@istudiotech.in (Super User)Business NewsMon, 08 Feb 2016 12:36:38 +0000Denmark is least corrupt country: Report North Korea is among the most corrupt countries in the world, the report sayshttp://sreeharree.org/index.php/eroupe/item/54-denmark-is-least-corrupt-country-report-north-korea-is-among-the-most-corrupt-countries-in-the-world-the-report-says
http://sreeharree.org/index.php/eroupe/item/54-denmark-is-least-corrupt-country-report-north-korea-is-among-the-most-corrupt-countries-in-the-world-the-report-says

North Korea is among the most corrupt countries in the world, the report says

Public-sector corruption is still a major problem around the world but more countries are improving than worsening and the United States and United Kingdom have reached their best rankings ever, an anti-corruption watchdog said on Wednesday.

Denmark remained at the top of Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, a closely watched global barometer, for the second consecutive year as the country perceived as least corrupt. It scored 91 points out of a possible 100 while North Korea and Somalia remained at the bottom with unchanged scores of 8.

The index is based on expert opinions of public sector corruption, looking at a range of factors like whether governmental leaders are held to account or go unpunished for corruption, the perceived prevalence of bribery, and whether public institutions respond to citizens’ needs.

The US rose one spot this year to 16th place with a score of 76, tying with Austria. The UK rose three spots to place 10th, with a score of 81 that tied it with Germany and Luxembourg. The other top spots, from second to ninth, were occupied by Finland, Sweden, New Zealand, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Singapore and Canada.

Despite so many countries in the top 10, Transparency said there was still a lot of room for improvement in Europe and Central Asia, which it grouped as one region, saying “in low-scorers Hungary, Poland and Turkey, politicians and their cronies are increasingly hijacking state institutions to shore up power.”

“It’s even grimmer further down the index,” the organization continued. “In Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan and others, governments are restricting, if not totally stifling, civil society and free media.”

Russia sat in 119th place, tied with Azerbaijan, Guyana and Sierra Leone, although its score improved from 27 in 2014 to 29 in 2015, bringing its ranking on the list up from 136th place.

Brazil, in the midst of a massive corruption scandal at the state-owned oil company Petrobras, posted the biggest decline, falling 5 points to a score of 38 and dropping 7 positions to 76th place.

Transparency noted that in places like Guatemala, Sri Lanka and Ghana, citizen activists have “worked hard to drive out the corrupt.”

“The 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index clearly shows that corruption remains a blight around the world,” said Transparency head Jose Ugaz. “But 2015 was also a year when people again took to the streets to protest corruption — people across the globe sent a strong signal to those in power: it is time to tackle grand corruption.”

Overall, two-thirds of the 168 countries studied scored below 50 and the global average was 43.

Still, Transparency said it was a good sign that 64 countries improved their score while only 53 declined. The rest were unchanged.

NEW DELHI: In an attempt to revive the struggling hydropower sector in the country, state-run NHPC has decided to take over private hydropower projects and is ready to invest equity worth Rs 20,000 crore in the next five years.

The country's largest hydropower producer with an installed capacity of 5,702 mw, NHPC is eyeing to add another 4,000 mw through equity investments. "We want more projects on nomination basis. We aren't getting projects compatible to our capabilities," said ABL Srivastava, director ( finance), NHPC.

Company officials said that NHPC currently has enough cash reserves for the proposed equity investments.

"State governments have lately preferred private players for harnessing hydro power. But most of them have not taken off. Given the amount of equity with us, we are in a good position to form joint venture with private power companies and may even take over the project in many cases," said Srivastava.

NHPC officials also said that several private companies, especially with projects in the north and northeastern parts of the country, have approached the company to form a joint venture involving the state government as well.

"We are still planning our partnership model with state governments and private players for future projects," Srivastava told reporters.

NHPC has projects totalling 12,240 mw in the pipeline, out of which around 8,000 mw worth of projects are awaiting clearances from the central government. Some of its key projects such as Subahsiri (2,000 mw) and Dibang (3,000 mw) in Arunanchal Pradesh are awaiting clearances from the ministry of environment and forests.

The PSU recently commissioned 160 mw Teesta Lower Dam Power project, phase 3 (TLDP 3) project in Sikkim after a hiatus of six years due to geological challenges. It is building six hydropower projects in Sikkim totalling 4,000 mw. The phase four of TLDP, with capacity of 132 mw, is slated for commissioning in October 2014. Phase five of TLDP (512 mw) was commissioned in March 2008.

The upstream Teesta-3 power project in the state is being constructed by a private entity and is supposed to be commissioned by the end of this year in December but NHPC officials in the Teesta region said that no major work has progressed in it.

NEW DELHI: The finance ministry has reiterated that the government will not breach its fiscal deficit target of 4.8% of GDP for the current fiscal and it will be able to finance the current account deficit (CAD) comfortably.

The clarification came on Tuesday, a day after the release of data which showed that the government had run up 75% of budgeted fiscal deficit by August, triggering concerns over possible fiscal slippage. The CAD in the quarter ended June was 4.9% of GDP, much higher than 3.7% in the previous quarter, but that did not cause alarm as it was better than expected.

"We will not go beyond the borrowing envisaged in the budget...The budget target of 4.8% of GDP will not be breached," economic affairs secretary Arvind Mayaram told the media.

The CAD is expected to be less than $70 billion or 3.7% of GDP, Mayaram said, adding that the elevated 4.9% in the first quarter of the current fiscal was mainly due to gold imports which would be restricted below 800 tonne this year.

Mayaram said the government had already completed two-thirds of its borrowing, pegged at Rs 3.44 lakh crore, and added that it would not borrow more than the budgeted Rs 2.35 lakh crore in the second half of the fiscal. The secretary said the higher fiscal deficit was to an extent deliberate as the government had speeded plan spending in the early months to support welfare schemes.

The total plan expenditure at the end of August was 33% of the budget estimate, compared with 28.4% at the same time last year. "Higher spending was deliberately planned in first half for speedier implementation of various welfare programmes of the government," Mayaram said. He also pointed out that revenue collections tend to pick up pace in the second half of the year and to that extent fiscal deficit is usually higher in the first half.

"Gross tax collection up to the month of August, 2013 has shown a growth of 8.7% on a year-on-year basis. However, for the month of August, 2013 there has been marked improvement and the tax collection has grown by 18.3% over the collections for August, 2012. Preliminary figures for September show further improvement," he said, adding that the recent austerity measures announced by the government would also help.

Mayaram said tax revenues should also get a leg-up from the pick-up in growth in the second half, pointing to the signs of improvement in manufacturing, electricity and capital goods sectors in July and acceleration in growth of the eight core industries to 3.7% in August from 3.1% in July.

"It (GDP) will be more than 5%...it cannot be less than 5%," the secretary said, replying to a question over most private forecasts pegging GDP growth rate for 2013-14 at around 4%.

He said the increase in the sown area, acceleration in the pace of plan expenditure and the impact of projects cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Investments should also help accelerate growth, and promised more measures to improve economic activity.

"As we are seeing growth clawing back, I am quite sure that the environment will be conducive for further incentivising of growth and we will see whatever steps have to be taken," Mayaram said.

On the issue of interest rates, he said that was for the central bank to decide. "As far as the interest rate is concerned, it is completely the domain of RBI and the Governor will take a call on that," Mayaram said.

SEOUL: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd is on track to post its second consecutive year of record earnings as a rebound in its semiconductor business shields the South Korean tech giant from a slower smartphone market

The world's biggest memory chipmaker is likely to see its semiconductor earnings charge to a three-year high - a much-needed shot in the arm - just as sales of its flagship Galaxy S4 smartphone begin to slip, analysts say.

The global chip market has rallied since late 2012 due to a supply crunch caused by years of cautious investment to support prices, and conversion of factory capacity to produce more profitable chips used in smartphones and tablets.

The market further tightened following a fire in early September at a China plant owned by SK Hynix, the world's No.2 chipmaker. The drop in supply helped divert customers to Samsung, whose heavy investment in cutting-edge chip-making technologies has made it head and shoulders above smaller rivals like Micron Technology Inc.

"As of now, there is no real competitor for Samsung in the (memory) chip business," said Lee Seung-woo, a tech analyst at IBK Investment & Securities. "This dearth of players is expected to allow Samsung to post considerable operating profits throughout this year and next year, even if demand flags."

Samsung is estimated to post an operating profit of 38.5 trillion won ($35.85 billion) this year, up a third from 2012, according to a survey of 45 analysts by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. The company said on Friday operating profit is likely to reach a record 10.1 trillion won in the third quarter.

Contract dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chip prices jumped 9 percent in the second half of September from the first half of that month while spot prices soared 37 per cent.

UBS estimates supply of DRAM chips by SK Hynix would shrink by 14per cent in the fourth quarter, plunging the overall DRAM market into a supply deficit of some 7 per cent. The South Korean firm aims to fully restore operations in November.

Shares in Samsung ended Friday unchanged, after advancing as much as 3.1per cent on Wednesday prior to the earnings guidance announcement. Financial markets in South Korea were closed on Thursday due to a public holiday.

SLOWING GROWTH

Samsung estimated third-quarter operating profit rose 25 per cent from a year earlier, the slowest since the third quarter of 2011 when profit shrank 11 per cent.

Samsung's mobile devices business has helped the company report a record profit every quarter since last year, except the first three months of 2013.

The division, which generates two-thirds of the company's total earnings, is stalling as sales of the Galaxy S4 slow and the high-end market rapidly saturates, analysts say.

"The concern that high-end smartphones could see slower growth is a valid one. But Samsung has both the speed and fast-follower tendencies of Zara and a portfolio spanning high- and low-end products as well as components such as a brand like Swatch," Lee at IBK said.

Barclays estimates S4 smartphone sales will have dropped to 16 million sets in July-September from around 20 million in the two months following its late April debut. Sales may slip further to 13 million sets in the fourth quarter, according to Barclays.

Samsung is widely expected to have sold 86-88 million smartphones in the third quarter, up from 76 million in the second quarter, as the company increased shipments of cheaper models to emerging markets.

Profits at its mobile division are seen at 6.4 trillion won, better than the second quarter's 6.3 trillion won but down from a record 6.5 trillion won in the first three months.

Underscoring the slowing pace of growth in the industry, Taiwan's HTC Corp posted its first ever quarterly loss on Friday, hit by fierce competition and supply chain constraints.

Samsung is now hoping new products such as the Galaxy Gear smartwatch and a curved smartphone, which it plans to introduce this month, to help sustain growth momentum.

Hot on the heels of Samsung, LG Electronics Inc is planning to introduce a curved smartphone in November, the Wall Street Journal reported. LG previously said it would introduce such a model by the year-end.

As Samsung battles slowing growth at the top end of the market, Kevin Packingham, the chief product officer of its U.S. mobile business, abruptly left the company. That was the second major management change in the United States this year where Samsung fiercely competes with Apple Inc.

Samsung said on Thursday that Packingham left the company for personal reasons. The departure followed the appointment of Gregory Lee, a former head of Samsung's Southeast Asia business, as the chief of Samsung's US unit in July.

MUMBAI: Benefiting from the rural India story seems to be the theme in times when the economy is stuck in a mire, and analysts see the silver lining in this year's good monsoon.

Agricultural growth has the potential to surprise positively as also crunch food inflation numbers, feel analysts.

The monsoon is likely to increase consumption and the companies that are linked with rural income can outperform those with the urban theme.

Besides, the spending by the government ahead of elections is expected to increase demand from the rural market.

"A number of companies in autos, consumers (staples/discretionary) and agri products have a high percentage of their revenue/profits coming from the rural sector. A good monsoon should boost rural consumption and be positive for these companies," said a UBS report.

As per the Indian Meteorological Bureau, India's monsoon rainfall in 2013 has been 5 per cent above normal, with 30 out of 36 sub-divisions reporting normal or excess rainfall, making this among the best monsoon in 15 years.

We give you a list of stocks identified by UBS and Deutsche Bank that will gain from the rural theme.

Following are UBS's high-conviction rural plays on the basis of the monsoon theme:

ITC: ITC remains our top pick in the consumer space as we believe cigarettes will deliver despite a weak macro. ITC's products have displayed resilient demand growth across cycles. ITC remains market leader in cigarettes, a category where they have brands that ladder across all price points; and which reach consumers through a wide distribution network. It is also a Most Preferred stock in our India Alpha Preferences.

Maruti: We believe Maruti remains the best way to play a potential recovery in the Indian auto sector given its strong product portfolio and distribution network. We expect Maruti to grow ahead of the industry driven by recovery in hatchback segment and new launches.

Dabur: The company's domestic business would continue to grow at double digit volume growth. We believe the rural reach improvement would benefit Dabur, as its mid-priced products appeal to a wider audience in the hinterland.

Colgate: With spend improvement expected in non-metro markets, we expect Colgate to gain from both volume and value improvement. Colgate is in a position to drive availability, upgrades, volumes and profitability.

Coromandel International: We believe Coromandel remains the best positioned to benefit from the growing agri-products market in India. Good monsoons should aid sharp ramp-up in its manufactured products sales leading to potential earnings surprise ahead. Valuations are attractive in both absolute terms as well as relative to last three-year history.

Emami: We expect Emami to benefit from their focus on pain management, healthcare and men's grooming; expansion in distribution network; new brand extensions and launches from end FY14 onwards and favourable correction in menthol prices leading to an improvement in gross margins.

The brokerage also advises investors to hedge their long positions in agri stocks by selling teo-wheelers, especially Hero MotoCorpBSE 0.13 % and urban discretionary names such as Jubilant Foodworks, Titan IndustriesBSE 0.35 % and United Breweries.

Here's a list of stocks from Deutsche Bank that'll benefit from the rural theme:

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd: 'Buy' for a target price of Rs 1550

Maruti Suzuki should be one of the key beneficiaries in auto sector as 30 per cent of sales respectively from rural India. India's largest carmaker aims to increase its distribution reach to 100,000 villages this year versus 45,000 last year.

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd: 'Hold' for a target of Rs 950

Around 65 per cent of revenues and EBIT are derived from rural/semi-urban sales. Tractor growth is expected to recover in FY14 (+10% YoY) after a flat year in FY13.

Bharti Airtel Ltd: 'Buy' for a target of Rs 395

The Sunil Bharti Mittal-led Bharti Airtel gets its 43 per cent of subscribers from rural India. A good monsoon and crop would lead to higher disposable income in the hands of rural consumers.

ITC: 'Buy' for a target of Rs 385

ITC derives more than 50 per cent of its cigarette revenues from rural areas. The new thrust towards 64mm cigarettes will encourage conversion from "bidi's" to cigarettes. Every 1 per cent incremental volumes will result in 0.75 per cent higher earnings.

HDFC Bank Ltd: 'Buy' for a target of Rs 760

HDFC Bank has significantly expanded its rural presence over the past few years. More than 70 per cent of its branch additions over the past three years have been in semi-urban and rural areas. Buoyancy in rural markets should benefit it both on asset and liabilities side.

M&M Financial Services Ltd: 'Buy' for a target of Rs 290

Around 20% of asset under management (AUM) for MMFS are tractors which should directly benefit from strong agriculture. In addition there could be higher demand for cars and utility vehicles giving further opportunity for MMFS to grow.

Shriram Transport Finance Ltd: 'Buy' for a target of Rs 750

Strong agriculture harvest (on the back of good monsoons) could have a multiplier effect on rural economy. This should lead to higher demand for small CVs and Light CVs.

Grasim Ltd: 'Buy' for a target of Rs 3,335

Cement business of UltraTech is available at 35 per cent discount (assuming only a 5x exit P/E for the VSF business which generates RoE which is higher than CoE (cost of equity) even in the current down cycle in that business. For cement, which accounts for 80% of earnings, 40-50% of its business comes from the tier II and tier III markets.

Shree Cements Ltd: 'Buy' for a target price of Rs 4,625

Stock offers an attractive over 5 per cent FCF yield. Currently 40-50 per cent of its business comes from the tier II and tier III markets.

NHPC: 'Buy' for a target of Rs 24

We expect earnings momentum to propel from good monsoons in FY14. Higher reservoir levels not only helps in producing better generation volume, but also improve incentives in the form of higher water availability for the hydro power projects.

On an YTD basis, NHPC has delivered 240 bps improvements in availability and generation volumes are up 6% on consolidated basis. In terms of earnings sensitivity, 200 bps improvement in availability or 200 bps higher generation could lead to 2-3% higher EPS for each - and 5% for combined impact.